This disclosure relates to a rotary winged aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Currently existing rotary blade aircraft suffer from several design limitations that limit the gross weight lift and horizontal flight speed capabilities with performance penalties that make for unstable and inefficient operation.
The conventional rotary blade system for helicopters provides lift by coupling more than one rotor blade to a relatively vertical shaft around which the blades rotate. The rotating blades generate lift by creating low-pressure above the blades and directing air flow downward. This lift is transferred to the helicopter through a coupling of the rotating blades to the shaft, and the housing of the shaft within the helicopter. The lift and horizontal flight speed capabilities of helicopters are limited by a variety of factors such as vehicle gross weight, blade configuration, blade rotation speed, blade drag, etc. There is a need for reductions in the limitations which affect these performance characteristics of helicopters so that lift and horizontal flight speed capabilities may be improved, in addition to overall helicopter flight stability and efficiency.